WICOMICO'S LOBLOLLY PINES
The lone loblolly, standing dead and broken in a rising marsh, has become an iconic symbol for the vulnerability of life in a changing climate. Yet, the story of loblolly pines and climate change is not a simple one. The forest communities of Wicomico County have fluctuated over the years; but, despite what might be interpreted from the pictures, the loblolly pines have actually come to dominate our forested ecosystems as a result of industry. This actually destroyed the integrity of ecosystems and caused forests to become more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. However, the state is making the transition to sustainable forestry, and our former loblolly timber lands may now help to buffer the county against the effects of climate change.
The lone loblolly, standing dead and broken in a rising marsh, has become an iconic symbol for the vulnerability of life in a changing climate. Yet, the story of loblolly pines and climate change is not a simple one. The forest communities of Wicomico County have fluctuated over the years; but, despite what might be interpreted from the pictures, the loblolly pines have actually come to dominate our forested ecosystems as a result of industry. This actually destroyed the integrity of ecosystems and caused forests to become more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. However, the state is making the transition to sustainable forestry, and our former loblolly timber lands may now help to buffer the county against the effects of climate change.
HISTORY OF THE WICOMICO FORESTS
The State Department of Forestry has estimated that about ninety percent of Maryland was covered in forest at the time of human settlement. They hypothesize that forests were mostly comprised of mixed hardwoods spotted with areas of pine [1]. Charcoal samples (dated between 1690-1720) were recovered from a well at Webb's Landing in Kent County, Delaware, very near Wicomico County, and offer evidence to support this claim. They suggest that during this time, oaks, pines, chestnuts, hickory, ash, poplar, cottonwood, sweet gum, and willow trees all grew together in this general location. So, the upland forests of aboriginal times were most likely dominated by oak-gum, oak-hickory, or oak-pine communities. In a study from Salisbury University, witness trees were surveyed throughout Wicomico County, revealing that our forests were probably once composed of 81% hardwood and 19% softwood trees. Witness trees are larger trees that were commonly used to mark property boundaries during the 1600s. They included species of oak, hickory, poplar, gum, cypress, and pine. Today, less than fifty percent of Wicomico's original forest lands remain forested, and nearly every patch of land has been cut and logged multiple times. Actually, most of our forests today sprouted from abandoned agricultural fields in the early nineteen hundreds and consequently are evenly aged. Much of this land has been converted from a naturally diversified blend of hard and softwoods to a monoculture crop of Loblolly Pines [2].
Why would this occur? We must consider the phenomenon of forest succession. In previous centuries, natural stands of hardwoods were key market items, but extensive logging quickly led to the demise of hardwood forests. Once these valuable stands of hardwoods were cut, loggers had to wait for the forests to regrow mature stands of hardwoods... and this could take a while. You see, after a disturbance like clearcutting, forests do not simply re-sprout mature hardwood communities. Instead, the forest must go through the stages of secondary succession. At first, many small plants like horseweed, crabgrass, and aster colonize the empty fields. As time progresses, these plants are replaced by larger weedy plants. Then come the shrubs, and after about 15 years, young pine saplings begin to sprout. The first trees to recolonize the forest are usually pines, like the loblolly, because they are a fast-growing bunch. By year 30, the young pine forest progresses toward maturity as hardwoods begin to sprout. Now, if the forest is left to continue its successional development, hardwoods like sweet gum and red cedar will begin to mature after about 70 years, competing with the mature pines for sunlight. Approximately 100 years following the onset of disturbance, stands of hardwoods will once again dominate the landscape [5]. But humans are not patient creatures. We cannot wait a hundred years each time we clearcut a forest. So, foresters shifted their focus to loblolly pines, planting this species in place of the old, slow-growing hardwoods. They found that these straight, fast-growing pines did magnificently well in the lumber market, so people began to convert all types of forest to monocultures of loblolly pine. Loblollies have dominated Eastern Shore forestry ever since. Herbicides have been used to exterminate all other plant types, so as to ensure that all available soil nutrients are absorbed by the loblollies. Their harvest contributes approximately $349 million to the State's economy and employs over 2,100 workers. Though loblolly pines are indeed native to Wicomico County, they never occurred in unison across our forests until mankind planted them for cultivation. A 2005 survey revealed that 81% of Chesapeake Forests had turned to pine forest (composed of at least 90% pine trees) while mixed hardwood forest made up only 12%. This landscape is the exact opposite of the historic landscape which was instead dominated by mixed hardwood forests [2, 3].
According to the Maryland DNR, the most valuable commercial product extracted from Eastern Shore forests is loblolly pine saw timber. Rates average between $130-200 MBF (MBF=thousands of board feet) depending on wood quality, forest accessibility, and the local market. The majority of mature pine forests are dense, averaging between 8-12 MBF per acre, which, in turn, profits about $1040-2400 an acre. Although there is a market for hardwood sawtimber, it is weak and prices are much lower than other parts of the southeastern US. It only averages $50-100 MBF because soils are wetter here in Wicomico County and because we have fewer remaining marketable species, including red maple, sweet gum, and black gum, which are often stained from minerals or deformed. Moreover, our history of high grading has granted us with poor quality leftovers today since the best hardwoods have already been cut in the past. In contrast, hardwoods on the upper shore of Maryland are often of better quality (oaks and tulip poplars) and produce a higher profit. Landowners in Wicomico County desire a return on investment and stick with growing loblolly pines. Loblolly pines are great timber and paper-producing trees. They grow fast, are shade-intolerant, and can grow in disturbed areas in a variety of soils. Even though these trees live well over one hundred years, it is unusual to find trees older than 80 years due to their strong economic value. Typically, loblolly pine stands are cultivated between 40-60 years of age. This quick rotation depletes nutrients from the soil, and unfortunately, due to high turnover rates of forested properties, landowners rarely manage their forests sustainably for the long run [1].
Effects of Climate Change: Monocultures vs. Sustainable Forestry
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1. Monocultures and Climate
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2. Making the Switch to Sustainable Forestry
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3. Sustainable Forestry and Climate
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MONOCULTURES AND CLIMATE
Loblolly pines are an extremely valuable natural component of forested ecosystems as they provide habitat for creatures like pine snakes and woodpeckers; however, dense stands of any monoculture depletes soil nutrients, welcomes disease, and damages the integrity of natural systems. The natural range of loblolly pines extends north approximately halfway through the state of Maryland. As the climate warms, its range will expand, affording foresters in northern states the opportunity to turn their forests into monocultures of loblollies. This will deplete even more soils of their nutrients and further reduce the biodiversity of the Eastern US. When allowed to propagate naturally, the pines contribute to a diverse ecosystem more resilient to the damages of climate change, but monocultures are much more vulnerable [6].
When only one species of tree occurs in a stand, diseases specific to that tree travel fast because there are no other physical barriers. So, for instance, a pesky insect is able to jump from tree to tree, infesting each one until none are left. The southern pine beetle works this way, and is the most destructive insect for pines in the southern US. It has already cost US pine forests hundreds of millions in damages. This native insect inhabits the inner bark of pines, where it lays its eggs and feeds on the phloem, girdling it from the inside out. In the process, the beetle brings with it a blue-stain fungi which colonizes the xylem and prevents water flow throughout the tree. Once these beetles have colonized a pine, it is sure to die. This beetle has actually caused a scare in Wicomico County in the past. A Washington Post newspaper article from 1971 revealed that the southern pine beetle had destroyed 4,000 acres of land on the Eastern Shore and had the potential to destroy up to 277,000 more. While we were lucky that this infestation had faded, warming temperatures are likely to increase populations of this insect by speeding up its life cycle. Variable temperatures could introduce dry spells which are favorable for this insect as well. Additionally, as the loblolly pine spreads north, so too will the beetle, and this may cause other species of pines in the north to become sick with disease [4].
Loblolly pines can tolerate higher levels of salts than hardwood species and often grow in areas where other trees cannot survive. When the sea level rises and salt water intrudes inland, the hardwood species are the first to die off. Loblollies are able to hang in there a bit longer, but eventually are killed off and overtaken by marsh. Thus, dead stands of loblollies indicate when climate change has made environmental conditions too harsh for life [7]. The southwest portion of Wicomico County is losing vast stretches of its loblolly pine forests to rising seas, leaving behind ghost forests.
Loblolly pines are an extremely valuable natural component of forested ecosystems as they provide habitat for creatures like pine snakes and woodpeckers; however, dense stands of any monoculture depletes soil nutrients, welcomes disease, and damages the integrity of natural systems. The natural range of loblolly pines extends north approximately halfway through the state of Maryland. As the climate warms, its range will expand, affording foresters in northern states the opportunity to turn their forests into monocultures of loblollies. This will deplete even more soils of their nutrients and further reduce the biodiversity of the Eastern US. When allowed to propagate naturally, the pines contribute to a diverse ecosystem more resilient to the damages of climate change, but monocultures are much more vulnerable [6].
When only one species of tree occurs in a stand, diseases specific to that tree travel fast because there are no other physical barriers. So, for instance, a pesky insect is able to jump from tree to tree, infesting each one until none are left. The southern pine beetle works this way, and is the most destructive insect for pines in the southern US. It has already cost US pine forests hundreds of millions in damages. This native insect inhabits the inner bark of pines, where it lays its eggs and feeds on the phloem, girdling it from the inside out. In the process, the beetle brings with it a blue-stain fungi which colonizes the xylem and prevents water flow throughout the tree. Once these beetles have colonized a pine, it is sure to die. This beetle has actually caused a scare in Wicomico County in the past. A Washington Post newspaper article from 1971 revealed that the southern pine beetle had destroyed 4,000 acres of land on the Eastern Shore and had the potential to destroy up to 277,000 more. While we were lucky that this infestation had faded, warming temperatures are likely to increase populations of this insect by speeding up its life cycle. Variable temperatures could introduce dry spells which are favorable for this insect as well. Additionally, as the loblolly pine spreads north, so too will the beetle, and this may cause other species of pines in the north to become sick with disease [4].
Loblolly pines can tolerate higher levels of salts than hardwood species and often grow in areas where other trees cannot survive. When the sea level rises and salt water intrudes inland, the hardwood species are the first to die off. Loblollies are able to hang in there a bit longer, but eventually are killed off and overtaken by marsh. Thus, dead stands of loblollies indicate when climate change has made environmental conditions too harsh for life [7]. The southwest portion of Wicomico County is losing vast stretches of its loblolly pine forests to rising seas, leaving behind ghost forests.
THE CHESAPEAKE FOREST LANDS
In 1999, the state of Maryland, along with The Conservation Fund, each purchased half of the former land holdings from the Chesapeake Forest Products Company in order to protect Maryland's natural resources. This amounted to approximately 58,000 acres of "Chesapeake Forest Land" across six lower Eastern Shore counties. In 2000, The Conservation Fund gifted their half of the forests to the State with the condition that the State implement an effective sustainable forest management plan for these woods. In 2003, the State Department of Natural Resources conducted an extensive study on the resource inventory and decided to apply the sustainable management plan over all 58,000 acres of forest. Since then, many new forest clusters have been adopted into the Chesapeake Forest Lands, including the Wicomico Demonstration Forest, and today, the total size of Maryland State Forest amounts to 73,723 acres (18,704 acres of which are located within Wicomico County). Over 11,000 of these acres are wetlands, and the remaining 53,000 acres are upland forests that are still exceedingly dominated by loblolly pines [3]. |
ACCORDING TO THE MARYLAND DNR,
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY... "...is a broad term for management techniques that respect the full range of environmental, social, and economic values of the forest, and seek to meet today's needs without losing any of those values. Sustainable forests maintain all components (trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, fish, wildlife, etc.) as well as ecological processes (nutrient recycling, water and air purification, ground water recharge, etc.) so they can remain healthy and vibrant into the future. A basic part of sustainable forestry is adaptive management, which means that forest managers watch and monitor the forest carefully so that, if future conditions change and the forest shows signs of stress or decline, new management actions can help restore sustainable conditions" [3]. |
While it is promising that the state is working with a mindset of sustainability, the conversion to loblolly pine forest (in which loblolly pine is now only permitted to make up about 60% of the total basal forest area) is still authorized south of Route 50 on the Western Shore and south of the Chester River on the Eastern Shore. Moreover, there are no restrictions on the type of silvicultural methods used to harvest the pines. Still, this is a huge step up from the old, 100% loblolly monocultures, and on most Chesapeake Forest Land, natural regeneration is mandatory while the suppression of hardwood growth is prohibited [1].
Read more about the Wicomico Demonstration State Forest:
Luckily, the State of Maryland is now working to preserve Chesapeake Forest Lands through sustainable management techniques that allow the extraction of natural resources while respecting the overall cohesion of forest elements. Thus, instead of planting complete monocultures of loblolly pines, loblollies are now able to grow among other species and can consequently interact with other important ecosystem variables in a natural manner that maintains the diversity and integrity of Chesapeake forests. As a result, human-induced stressors are slowly removed, making the entire forest system more resilient to the effects of climate change. For instance, because the state now owns large, continuous patches of forest land, fragmentation by development is prevented and ecosystems have the chance to stabilize. Furthermore, Chesapeake Forest lands protect shorelines of five major river systems, including the Nanticoke and Wicomico, allowing for the improvement of water quality, the creation of wetlands, the restoration of native plant communities, and the strengthening of streamside buffers that will protect against intense storms brought by climate change [3]. Hopefully, the example set forth by Maryland's Chesapeake Forest Lands will gather momentum for the future management of loblolly pine plantations as they extend their reach northward in the warming climate.
Our Heritage
Photo by Audrey Ramming
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Here, in Wicomico County, loblolly pines are a statement of our culture. Their harvest boosts the state economy and employs hundreds of workers, and their existence contributes to unique habitats that, in turn, maintain the ability to hunt game and fish on forest lands. By sustainably preserving the Chesapeake Forest Lands, the state is not only maintaining a buffer against the disruptive effects of climate change, but also the "rural character, economy, and heritage of the region" [3]. |
Click to return to Forests or learn more about its species!
References
Log Background Photo: Danny McL, flickr
- Maryland Forest Service. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. (2007). Sustainable Forest Management Plan for Chesapeake Forest Lands: Sustainable Forests for People and the Bay (Report No. 11). Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Retrieved from http://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Documents/chesapeake/CF-SFMP_2018.pdf
- Green, M. (2006). Trees 101: Changing Forest Ecosystems. Salisbury University. Retrieved from http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~mllewis/Constructing%20the%20woods/constructing_the_woods.htm
- Maryland Forest Service. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. (n.d.). Chesapeake Forests. Retrieved from http://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/chesapeakeforestlands.aspx
- Meeker, J. R., Dixon W. N., Foltz, J. L., Fasulo, T. R. (2000). Common name: southern pine beetle. Retrieved from http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/trees/southern_pine_beetle.htm
- Forest Succession (2014). Retrieved from http://dukeforest.duke.edu/forest-environment/forest-succession/
- U.S. Forest Service. United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). The Southern Pines. Retrieved from https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/usda/amwood/256spine.pdf
- Williams, C. (n.d.). About Loblolly Pine Trees. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/loblolly-pine-trees-62551.html
Log Background Photo: Danny McL, flickr